The parallel ATA (Advanced Technology Attachment) specification has defined the standard storage interface for PCs since the early 1980s. Parallel ATA provides low cost, broad operating system support, and steady evolution. Over time, parallel ATA has continuously evolved to support higher speed and performance. However, due to several reasons, including performance headroom, cabling issues, and voltage tolerance requirements, a new storage interface known as Serial ATA has recently been created.
Serial ATA may combine software transparency, low cost, scalability, and design flexibility to overcome the limitations of parallel ATA. Point-to-point data rates of 1.5 Gbps may be attainable with Serial ATA. Although high point-to-point data rates may increase the functionality of each data channel, the loss of a data channel may have a greater impact on system performance due to the loss of a greater amount of information. Therefore, redundant data channels may be desirable. However, implementing redundant data channels is problematic.